“By the strength of our backs, by the sweat of our brow, and by the courage of our hearts,” is a saying that I strongly believe in. It is telling us that success is earned and that it is never a happenstance. Everything we need to accomplish great things, is right there in front of us. It is actually our choice if we will sacrifice and work hard enough to achieve our goals. It is our choice, to be brave enough to willingly take the risk to reach the top.

The journey to success is different for every person. Sometimes it does take long, but giving up should never be an option. When you feel like you’re losing hope because you think you have failed a lot of times, keep this in mind “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work,” a quote from Thomas Alva Edison when he was creating the light bulb. He never lost sight of what he wanted to achieve. He was diligent and honest with his labor. He never gave up until he was able to meet his goal.

To be able to stand here in front of you and do this speech as top of the batch is such an honor. Believe me, it was not easy. I had to balance myself between academic requirements, extra-curricular activities, and the time I spent socializing with my family and friends. I sometimes would have sleepless nights and had to burn the midnight candle to accomplish my tasks. In the end, it was all worth it.

I would like to thank my school mentors for helping me become a well-rounded person. They offered me with a lot of recreational activities helping me develop my skills and talents. Also, Southville guided me in improving my learning abilities by using different and creative ways, such as DCIA Activities and GRASPS. I would also like to thank my teachers for being unceasingly patient, they were always there for me. They never gave up on me and they gave me infinite support. I would like to thank my adviser, Ms. Kaye Mandia for not only being my teacher but a good friend as well. Thank you to my home base teacher, Ms. Issa Leong for the great advises that I will be able to apply to my everyday living. I would like to thank my class, Grade 6 – Perseverance, for being cooperative during class time. I would also like to thank my friends, Derick Salvoro, Jievo Garcia, and Nori Bandong for always being there for me. Even if we had our ups and downs, we still got each other’s backs.

Lastly, I would like to thank God the Father Almighty. He has blessed me and guided me throughout the entire school year, leading me to the right path to success. This school year was fun and exciting. It gave us wonderful experiences and memorable moments. Most of us are happy that we finally surpassed this level, but it is not over yet. After this milestone, there will be a new beginning. A new beginning we all know as high school. Usually, when we think of high school, we do not look forward to it, but I say we conquer it without any sign of fear. We will come back next school year with our heads held high, ready to tackle any obstacle that is put before us.

I cannot tell what will happen in the future. All I can tell you is to be prepared for the unexpected and that when times get hard, never back down.